Mechanical flying toy

ABSTRACT

A flying toy includes a chassis, a rotor and an elastic rope. The chassis has a first mass includes a first pair of wings extending therefrom. The rotor is rotatably connected to the chassis. The rotor has a second mass larger than the first mass of the chassis, and the rotor includes a second pair of wings extending therefrom. The elastic rope is positioned in the chassis and configured to pivotably couple the chassis to the rotor. The elastic rope is operative to impart a torque to the rotor.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a flying toy, and more particularly to a mechanically powered, extended range, flying butterfly toy.

BACKGROUND

Flying toys imitating bugs, insects, or airplanes using only mechanical means for powering flight have been enjoyed by kids and adults for many years. These simple toys are typically characterized as having propellers or flapping wings coupled to an elastic rope (e.g., a rubber band). Typically, the flight time and flight distance are specified by an amount of energy stored in the twisted elastic rope. When the elastic rope is released from a twisted position, rotational force (torque) is supplied to the propellers or flapping wings by the energy stored in the twisted elastic material causing the propellers or flapping wings to generate lift, thus causing the toy to fly.

SUMMARY

This disclosure relates to a flying toy having a chassis, a rotor, and an elastic rope. The chassis has a first mass and includes a first pair of wings extending therefrom. The rotor has a second mass larger than the first mass of the chassis. The rotor includes a second pair of wings extending therefrom. The rotor is rotatably connected to the chassis. The elastic rope is positioned in the chassis and configured to pivotably couple the chassis to the rotor. The elastic rope is operative to impart a torque to the rotor.

In aspects, the elastic rope may be a rubber band.

In further aspects, the chassis may include a first hook. The rotor may include a second hook. The elastic rope may be coupled to the first hook at a first end thereof and coupled to the second hook at a second end thereof.

In other aspects, the second mass may be at least twice as large as the first mass.

In some aspects, the rotor may include a head; a neck; a first spar extending from a first side of the neck configured to support a first wing of the second pair of wings; and, a second spar extending from a second side of the neck configured to support a second wing of the second pair of wings.

In additional aspects, the chassis may have a first length and the rotor may have a second length that is shorter than the first length, the first and second lengths defining a total length.

In further additional aspects, the flying toy may include a center of mass positioned within the rotor, the center of mass being located within a first quarter of the total length.

In aspects, each wing of the first and second pairs of wings may comprise a paper sheet, a plastic sheet, or a thin plate.

In other aspects, the chassis may include a first longitudinal spar spaced apart from a second longitudinal spar thereby defining a gap therebetween. The elastic rope may be positioned in the gap.

In aspects, a ratio of the second mass to the first mass may be at least five to one (5:1), respectively.

This disclosure also provides a flying toy including a chassis, a rotor, and an elastic rope. The chassis includes a first longitudinal spar and a second longitudinal spar spaced apart from the first longitudinal spar thereby defining a gap therebetween; and a first pair of wings, each wing of the first pair of wings extending from either the first or second longitudinal spar. The rotor is rotatably connected to the chassis. The rotor includes a second pair of wings; a first lateral spar extending from a first side of the rotor configured to support a first wing of the second pair of wings; and a second lateral spar extending from a second side of the rotor configured to support a second wing of the second pair of wings. The elastic rope is positioned in the gap of the chassis and configured to maintain the rotor rotatably connected to the chassis. A center of mass of the flying toy is located within the rotor.

In further aspects, a total length of the flying toy may be measured between a leading edge of the rotor and a trailing edge of a tail of the chassis. The center of mass may be located within the first quarter of the total length.

In aspects, the chassis may have a first mass and the rotor may have a second mass larger than the first mass of the chassis.

In some aspects, the rotor may include a light-emitting diode and a battery configured to power the light-emitting diode.

In aspects, the chassis and rotor, when coupled together, may resemble an insect, bug, bird, or flying object.

In alternative aspects, a first hook may extend forward from an aft end of the chassis and into the gap. A receptacle may be disposed at a forward end of the chassis. the rotor may include a second hook having a shaft configured to be received by the receptacle, the second hook extending aft and into the gap, the second hook and shaft freely rotatable within the receptacle. The elastic rope may be coupled to the first hook and the second hook.

In yet other aspects, the rotor may include a first rotor mass and a second rotor mass smaller than the first rotor mass, the first rotor mass disposed forward of the second rotor mass.

In aspects, the rotor may have a rotor length and the chassis may have a chassis length larger than the rotor length.

This disclosure also provides a mechanical flying toy including: a chassis having a first length and a first mass; a rotor operatively coupled to the chassis, the rotor having a second length and a second mass; and an elastic rope. The chassis includes: a first longitudinal spar and a second longitudinal spar spaced apart from the first longitudinal spar thereby defining a gap therebetween, a first pair of wings, each wing of the first pair of wings extending from either the first or second longitudinal spar; a first hook extending forward from an aft end of the chassis and into the gap; and a receptacle disposed at a forward end of the chassis. The rotor includes: a second pair of wings; a first lateral spar extending from a first side of the rotor configured to support a first wing of the second pair of wings; and a second lateral spar extending from a second side of the rotor configured to support a second wing of the second pair of wings; a light, and a battery in electrical communication therewith; and a second hook having a shaft configured to be received by the receptacle, the second hook extending aft and into the gap, the hook freely rotatable within the receptacle about the shaft. The elastic rope is positioned in the gap of the chassis and is coupled to the first and second hooks. The first length is larger than the second length. The second mass is larger than the first mass. A center of mass of the flying toy is located within the rotor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate aspects of the disclosure and, together with a general description of the disclosure given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a flying toy according to a first aspect of this disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the flying toy of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the flying toy of FIG. 1, with an elastic rope thereof in a twisted configuration;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the flying toy of FIG. 1, illustrating parts separated;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the chassis of the flying toy of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a simplified mass diagram of a flying toy in accordance with aspects of this disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the rotor of the flying toy of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the present disclosure are described in detail concerning the drawings, in which like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding elements in each of the several views.

As used herein, the terms “aft” refer to the downstream end or tail of a flying toy, or a direction toward the downstream end or tail of the flying toy. The term “forward” refers to an upstream end or head of the flying toy, or in a direction towards the upstream end or head of the flying toy.

As used herein, the term “about” means that the numerical value is approximate and small variations would not significantly affect the practice of the disclosed embodiments. Where a numerical limitation is used, unless indicated otherwise by the context, “about” means the numerical value can vary by ±20% and remain within the scope of the disclosed embodiments.

This disclosure provides a flying toy configured to fly longer and/or over larger distances than similar, current flying toys. Simple mechanical flying toys generally include a chassis (e.g., a frame or body), a rotor coupled to one or more wings, and an elastic rope (e.g., a rubber band) operatively coupling the chassis to the rotor. Elastic potential energy is stored in the elastic rope by twisting the elastic rope. When the twisted elastic rope is released, the elastic potential energy converts to kinetic energy that imparts a torque on the rotor (e.g., as the twisted elastic rope straightens out, it rotates the rotor), causing the flying toy to take flight, often in a random flight path. The flying toy of this disclosure improves the flight time and/or distance by selecting certain mass and length ratios as detailed below.

Referring generally to FIGS. 1-5, a flying toy 100 includes a chassis 120, a rotor 140, and an elastic rope 160 operatively coupling the chassis 120 to the rotor 140. The chassis 120 may be a rectangular frame or any other suitably shaped frame (e.g., an oval frame). The chassis 120 includes a first longitudinal spar 124 a and a second longitudinal spar 124 b spaced apart from the first longitudinal spar 124 a defining a gap 130 therebetween (FIG. 4). The chassis 120 includes a first wing 122 a and a second wing 122 b, the first and second wings 122 a, 122 b each extending from the first or second longitudinal spars 124 a, 124 b, respectively.

The rotor 140 includes a first lateral spar 144 a and a second lateral spar 144 b extending from the rotor 140. In aspects, the first and second lateral spars 144 a, 144 b, may form any angle with the rotor 140. A first rotor wing 142 a is coupled to and extends from the first lateral spar 144 a, and a second rotor-wing 142 b is coupled to and extends from the second lateral spar 144 b. The rotor 140 may include a head 146 and a neck 148 extending aft of the head 146. In aspects, the first and second lateral spars 144 a, 144 b extend from an aft portion of the neck 148.

The chassis 120 includes a hook 126 (FIGS. 2 & 4) extending forward from an aft end of the chassis 120. In aspects, hook 126 extends into the gap 130. The rotor 140 includes a hook 152 extending aft therefrom. In aspects, the hook 152 extends aft of the neck 148 and/or into the gap 130. The chassis 120 includes a receptacle 128 disposed at a forward end of the chassis 120. The receptacle 128 is configured to receive the hook 152 and shaft 154. Shaft 154 is disposed between hook 152 and rotor 140. The shaft 154 is configured to rotate within the receptacle 128 thus rotating the hook 152 and the rotor 140.

The elastic rope 160 is configured to pivotably couple the rotor 140 to the chassis 120. The elastic rope 160 serves as the engine of the flying toy. The elastic rope 160 is configured to be twisted into a twisted configuration 160 a to store elastic potential energy therein as shown in FIG. 3. In use, a user twists the rotor 140, which is operatively coupled to the elastic rope 160, while holding the chassis 120, causing the rope 160 to twist into a twisted configuration. In aspects, a user can twist the chassis 140 and the rotor 120 in opposite directions to further twist the elastic rope 160. When no force or pressure is held against rotor 140, the elastic potential energy is released and converted to kinetic energy and the elastic rope 160 straightens (e.g., untwists or relaxes) to release tension. The straightening motion or relaxation of the elastic rope 160, via the kinetic energy, imparts a torque on the rotor 140, thus rotating the rotor 140 and the first and second rotor wings 142 a, 142 b, launching the flying toy 100 into flight. The release of elastic potential energy stored in the twisted elastic rope 160 drives an angular acceleration of the elastic rope 160, the angular acceleration helping define the torque that is imparted onto the rotor 160 (as described below).

The elastic rope 160 may be a rubber band. In aspects, the elastic rope 160 may be doubled over so as to form a thicker elastic rope. For example, if the elastic rope 160 is a rubber band, the rubber band may be pinched and formed into a “U”, the two arms of the “U” having loops.

In aspects, the rotor 140 may include a light (not shown), such as a light emitting diode, and a battery (not shown) to power the light. A button 156 is configured to toggle the light on or off.

In aspects, the first and second wings 122 a, 122 b, and the first and second rotor wings 142 a, 142 b are flat plate members and may be comprised of at least one of a sheet of paper, a sheet of plastic, or any lightweight thin plate. In aspects, the first and second wings 122 a, 122 b, and the first and second rotor wings 142 a, 142 b may generally resemble wings of a bug, an insect, a bird, or a flying object. For example, the first and second wings 122 a, 122 b , and the first and second rotor wings 142 a, 142 b may together resemble the wings of a butterfly.

The chassis 120 defines a first weight and the rotor 140 defines a second weight. The second weight of the rotor 140 is configured to stabilize the flying toy 100 in flight such that the flying toy 100 may fly further and/or for a longer period of time. The second weight of the rotor 140 is larger than the first weight of the chassis 120. In aspects, the second weight may be twice as large or five times as large as the first weight. For example, the rotor 140 may have a second weight that is about 4 grams, and the chassis 120 may have a weight that is about 2 grams. In another example, the rotor 140 may have a second weigh that is 5 grams and the chassis 120 may have a weight that is about 1 gram. In aspects, the head 146 may have a head weight that is a majority of the second weight of the rotor 140. For example, the head 146 may be about 3 grams and the neck 148 may have a neck weight that is about 1 gram, the sum of which defines the second weight of the rotor 140.

With additional reference to FIGS. 6 & 7, a simplified representational flying toy 200 of the flying toy 100 is shown where the chassis 120 is represented by chassis 220, rotor 140 is represented by rotor 240, and the elastic rope 160 is represented by elastic rope 260. In aspects, for modeling the flying toy 200, the elastic rope 260 is considered to be massless and configured to store elastic potential energy convertible to kinetic energy such that the elastic rope 260 imparts a torque on the rotor 240. While the following physical model is described with respect to masses of the chassis 220 and the rotor 140, the physical model may also be similarly described in terms of the first and second weights of the chassis 220 and the rotor 240, respectively.

The chassis 220 has a first mass m₁ and the rotor 240 has a second mass m₂. The chassis 220 has a length L₁ and the rotor 220 has a length L₂ that is less than the length L₁. The mass m₂ of the rotor 240 is larger than the mass m₁ of the chassis 240 such that a center of mass CM of the flying toy 200 is located in the rotor 240. In aspects, the mass m₂ of the rotor 240 is at least two times larger than the mass m₁ of the chassis 220, such that the ratio of the second mass m₂ to the first mass m₁ is at least 2:1, respectively. In aspects, the mass m₂ of the rotor 240 is at least 5 times larger than the mass m₁ of the chassis 220, such that the ratio of the second mass m₂ to the first mass m₁ is at least 5:1, respectively.

In aspects, the rotor 240 has a first rotor mass m_(2A) associated with the head 146 and a second rotor mass m_(2B) associated with the neck 148 that is less than the first rotor mass m_(2A), the sum of which defines the mass m₂ . In aspects, the first rotor mass m_(2A) is positioned forward of the second rotor mass m_(2B). In aspects, first rotor mass m_(2A) is at least twice as large as second rotor mass m_(2B.)

A total mass M of the flying toy is equal to the sum of the mass m₁ and mass m₂. The flying toy 200 is configured such that the total mass M is positioned forward of the center point of the flying toy 200 at the center of mass CM. The center of mass CM of the flying toy 200 is configured to be disposed in the rotor, as recited above. In aspects, the center of mass CM is configured to be disposed within a first quarter of the total length L_(T) of the flying toy 200, where the total length L_(T) is the sum of the length L₁ of the chassis 220 and the length L₂ of the rotor 240, such that the total length L_(T) is measured from the forward-most end (e.g., the leading edge) of the rotor 240 to the aft-most end (e.g., trailing edge) of the chassis 120.

For simplification, the diagram assumes that the mass m₁ of the chassis 220 can be considered as a point mass a distance L₁ from a reference point and that the mass m₂ of the rotor 240, which may comprise one or more point masses m_(2a) and m_(2b), a distance L₂ from the reference point. The reference point, is, for example, an origin placed at the forward end of the receptacle 128 of the chassis 220, at a junction between the chassis 220 and the rotor 240. The center of mass CM is calculated using known equations for determining the center of mass (e.g., summing the products of the masses and distances to the reference point, and dividing by the total mass). By configuring the flying toy 200 such that the CM is in the rotor 240, the force imparted by the elastic rope 160 acts at an extended distance r from the CM, thus causing a larger torque on the rotor 240.

To increase flight performance, the mass m₂ of the rotor is larger than the mass m₁ of the chassis. Since mass m₂ is larger than mass m₁, it more heavily influences the center of mass CM, pulling the center of mass towards the rotor 240.

A rotational analog of Newton's second law that relates a torque to an angular acceleration is T=rF=mr²α (equation 1), where T is a torque, r is the distance at which a force F is applied, m is a mass, and α is an angular acceleration. Equation 1 can be rewritten as T=rf=Mr²α (equation 2), where α is the angular acceleration of the elastic rope 260 due to the release and conversion of the stored elastic potential energy to kinetic energy. Equation 2 describes the torque T generated by the elastic rope 260 on the rotor 260 when the elastic rope 260 is released from a twisted configuration. Thus, by configuring the masses of the chassis 220 and rotor 240 as described above, the torque imparted by the elastic rope 260 on the rotor 240 is larger than that of the prior art, and thus the flying toy 200 is capable of flying over larger distances and/or for a longer period of time. Since the center of mass CM of the flying toy 100 of this disclosure is positioned farther from the elastic rope 260, at a distance r, a larger torque is generated. This larger torque may rotate the rotor 260, and therefore the wings of the rotor 260, at a larger rate or with more power.

The phrases “in an aspect,” “in aspects,” “in various aspects,” “in some aspects,” or “in other aspects” may each refer to one or more of the same or different aspects in accordance with the present disclosure. A phrase in the form “A or B” means “(A), (B), or (A and B).” A phrase in the form “at least one of A, B, or C” means “(A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C).”

It will be understood that various modifications may be made to the aspects described by the present disclosure. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of various aspects. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A flying toy, comprising: a chassis having a first mass, the chassis including a first pair of wings extending therefrom; a rotor having a second mass larger than the first mass of the chassis, the rotor being rotatably connected to the chassis, the rotor including a second pair of wings extending therefrom; an elastic rope positioned in the chassis and configured to pivotably couple the chassis to the rotor and operative to impart a torque to the rotor.
 2. The flying toy of claim 1, wherein the elastic rope is a rubber band.
 3. The flying toy of claim 1, wherein the chassis includes a first hook, the rotor includes a second hook, and the elastic rope is coupled to the first hook at a first end thereof and coupled to the second hook at a second end thereof.
 4. The flying toy of claim 1, wherein the second mass is at least twice as large as the first mass.
 5. The flying toy of claim 1, wherein the rotor includes a light emitting diode.
 6. The flying toy of claim 1, wherein the rotor includes: a head; a neck; a first spar extending from a first side of the neck configured to support a first wing of the second pair of wings; and a second spar extending from a second side of the neck configured to support a second wing of the second pair of wings
 7. The flying toy of claim 1, wherein the chassis has a first length and the rotor has a second length that is shorter than the first length, the first and second lengths defining a total length.
 8. The flying toy of claim 7, further including a center of mass positioned within the rotor, the center of mass being located within a first quarter of the total length.
 9. The flying toy of claim 1, wherein each wing of the first and second pairs of wings comprises a paper sheet, a plastic sheet, or a thin plate.
 10. The flying toy of claim 1, wherein the chassis includes a first longitudinal spar spaced apart from a second longitudinal spar thereby defining a gap therebetween; and wherein the elastic rope is positioned in the gap.
 11. The flying toy of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the second mass to the first mass is at least five to one (5:1), respectively.
 12. A mechanical flying toy comprising: a chassis including: a first longitudinal spar and a second longitudinal spar spaced apart from the first longitudinal spar thereby defining a gap therebetween; and a first pair of wings, each wing of the first pair of wings extending from either the first or second longitudinal spar; a rotor rotatably connected to the chassis, the rotor including: a second pair of wings; a first lateral spar extending from a first side of the rotor configured to support a first wing of the second pair of wings; and a second lateral spar extending from a second side of the rotor configured to support a second wing of the second pair of wings; and an elastic rope positioned in the gap of the chassis and configured to maintain the rotor rotatably connected to the chassis; wherein a center of mass of the flying toy is located within the rotor.
 13. The flying toy of claim 12, wherein a total length of the flying toy is measured between a leading edge of the rotor and a trailing edge of a tail of the chassis, wherein the center of mass is located within the first quarter of the total length.
 14. The flying toy of claim 12, wherein the chassis has a first mass and the rotor has a second mass larger than the first mass of the chassis.
 15. The flying toy of claim 14, wherein the second mass is at least twice as large as the first mass.
 16. The flying toy of claim 12, wherein the rotor includes a light emitting diode and a battery configured to power the light emitting diode, and wherein the chassis and rotor, when coupled together, resemble an insect, bug, bird, or flying object.
 17. The flying toy of claim 12, wherein the chassis includes: a first hook extending forward from an aft end of the chassis and into the gap; and a receptacle disposed at a forward end of the chassis; and wherein the rotor includes a second hook having a shaft configured to be received by the receptacle, the second hook extending aft and into the gap, the second hook and shaft freely rotatable within the receptacle; wherein the elastic rope is coupled to the first hook and the second hook.
 18. The flying toy of claim 12, wherein the rotor includes a first rotor mass and a second rotor mass smaller than the first rotor mass, the first rotor mass disposed forward of the second rotor mass.
 19. The flying toy of claim 19, wherein the rotor has a rotor length and the chassis has a chassis length larger than the rotor length.
 20. A flying toy comprising: a chassis having a first length and a first mass, the chassis including: a first longitudinal spar and a second longitudinal spar spaced apart from the first longitudinal spar thereby defining a gap therebetween, a first pair of wings, each wing of the first pair of wings extending from either the first or second longitudinal spar; a first hook extending forward from an aft end of the chassis and into the gap; and a receptacle disposed at a forward end of the chassis; a rotor operatively coupled to the chassis, the rotor having a second length and a second mass, the rotor including: a second pair of wings; a first lateral spar extending from a first side of the rotor configured to support a first wing of the second pair of wings; and a second lateral spar extending from a second side of the rotor configured to support a second wing of the second pair of wings; a light, and a battery in electrical communication therewith; and a second hook having a shaft configured to be received by the receptacle, the second hook extending aft and into the gap, the hook freely rotatable within the receptacle about the shaft; and an elastic rope positioned in the gap of the chassis and coupled to the first and second hooks; wherein a center of mass of the flying toy is located within the rotor; wherein the first length is larger than the second length; and wherein the second mass is larger than the first mass. 